PV Sindhu to head IOA Athletes' Commission, Harmanpreet named vice-chairperson

PV Sindhu has been named chairperson of the IOA Athletes' Commission, with Harmanpreet Singh appointed vice-chairperson. Mirabai Chanu and Sajan Prakash have also been elected as athlete representatives ahead of the IOA elections on December 5.PV Sindhu (L) and Harmanpreet Singh (R) will head the head IOA Athletes' Commission. (Image: PTI, Hockey India)New Delhi,Nov 6, 2026 19:25 ISTTwo-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu has been named chairperson of the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) Athletes' Commission, with Indian men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh appointed vice-chairperson. Weightlifting star Mirabai Chanu and swimmer Sajan Prakash have also been elected as athlete representatives to the IOA General Body.All four appointments were confirmed unopposed on Friday after they emerged as the sole candidates for their respective positions. Returning Officer Sanjay K Srivastava declared them elected, making it unnecessary to conduct the polls scheduled for Saturday, November 7.Sindhu and Harmanpreet, both two-time Olympic medallists, were the only candidates to file nominations for the chairperson and vice-chairperson positions. Under IOA rules, the two posts must be occupied by one male and one female athlete.Both will also become members of the IOA Executive Council, which will be constituted following the national Olympic body's elections on December 5. Their tenure, along with that of Chanu and Sajan, will run for four years from 2026 to 2030. Chanu and Sajan were similarly elected unopposed as the two representatives of the Athletes' Commission to the IOA General Assembly. The positions are reserved for one male and one female athlete, with both being the sole nominees in their respective categories.Their appointments also mean that Chanu and Sajan will be eligible to vote in the IOA elections on December 5. In a notice issued on Friday, Returning Officer Srivastava confirmed that Sindhu and Harmanpreet had been elected without polling. The notice also stated that Chanu and Sajan would become representatives to the General Assembly without having to participate in the voting process."The election of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson of IOA Executive Council and two Representatives of the Athletes' Commission to the IOA General Assembly, one male and one female, as scheduled on 7th November 2026, will not serve any purpose as there is only one candidate against one post in each category," the notice stated.The candidates for the chairperson and vice-chairperson positions were required to come from the six-member Olympic category of the Athletes' Commission, comprising sportspersons who have participated in at least one of the last three editions of the Olympic Games.Sindhu, Harmanpreet among 10 elected unopposedThe latest appointments follow the election of 10 sportspersons as members of the IOA Athletes' Commission on November 3. Sindhu, Harmanpreet, Chanu and Sajan were among those declared elected unopposed after former track and field athlete Sudha Singh withdrew from the contest.With 10 candidates remaining for the 10 available positions, including five reserved for male athletes and five for female athletes, the Returning Officer declared all of them elected without a vote.The other members of the commission include Indian women's hockey captain Salima Tete, shooter Swapnil Kusale, fencer Bhavani Devi, shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, former archer Bombayla Devi and kayaker Manjeet Singh.Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan and shooter Rajeshwari Kumari, who are members of the Olympic Council of Asia's (OCA) Athletes' Commission, will serve as ex-officio members of the IOA panel.For Sindhu, Chanu and Bhavani Devi, the appointments also mark a continuation of their involvement in athlete representation. All three were part of the previous IOA Athletes' Commission, which was headed by former world champion boxer MC Mary Kom.The new commission will represent athletes within India's Olympic administrative structure, with its leadership taking shape ahead of the IOA elections on December 5.- Ends